The Ring
by Tuesdayschild84
Summary: Everyone knows the story of Edward Cullen’s future. But what about Edward Mason’s past. What about the family and love he lost. What about Ivy?


_A/N- This is just a crazy idea I had last night and thought I'd explore. I had the idea that since Edward doesn't remember his human life (much if any) maybe there was a bit more to his life that Carlisle left out of telling him. Maybe ties that had Edward known about would have hurt him more than Carlisle could bear. So let's see where this goes! I tried my best to match up the dates but if they are a bit off please forgive me! And a big thanks to the Twilight Lexicon for that nifty timeline! _

* * *

I sat on the edge of my bed and tapped my foot, wasn't it 6:30 yet?

"What time is it?" I shouted to my mother, who was practicing piano in the sitting room.

The music stopped and she kindly replied. "My dear he will be here. Have patience."

I tapped my foot louder, patience was not a virtue I was accustomed to, but today I could learn to deal with it. Today I had no other choice because today Edward Mason was going to ask me to be his bride and I was going to say yes.

I'd know Edward for 5 years, ever since my father moved us from our home in New York to Chicago. We started out as friends and as the years moved on we became each other's worlds. Edward had a knack of knowing what was wrong with me before I did and I knew exactly what to say to cheer him up. A perfect match. Soul mates.

The front door opened loudly and without thinking I ran quickly to the top of the stairs and peered down with a wide grin.

"Edw…" I started but I was fooled. "Oh, welcome home papa."

My father hung his hat and jacket, undershirt drenched in sweat from the sweltering July heat, then opened his arms wide calling me in for a hug. I rushed down the stairs and wrapped my arms around his plump waist and smiled.

"I can see your patience is thin today my darling." He said with a laugh.

I just smiled but my mother answered for me. "I dare say she's excited to see Edward."

My dad nodded. "A nice boy for my wonderful daughter. Although I see no reason to rush into a marriage. He doesn't have a steady job and in this day in age I couldn't possible agree to my daughter leaving home with no support."

I scoffed. "Edward is brilliant. Anything he wants to be he'll achieve and together there isn't anything we can't do."

My parents laughed, clearly my eagerness was showing. The half hour chime echoed from the large grandfather clock in our foyer. It was 6:30. Without missing a beat a soft knock rumbled through the front door. Instantly a knot filled my stomach as if butterflies were dancing inside me.

I lunged for the door but my father stopped me in my tracks. "A young lady does not answer the door when a suitor calls for her. The father does that, therefore the young man in question knows who the man of the house is."

My mother laughed but I instantly became annoyed. "Papa if you say anything to him I swear I will leave here and never return."

He turned from me and headed for the door. "With no job, you won't get far."

"Hello Edmond." My father said from the door, my view of Edward still blocked by the door.

"Papa!" I shouted.

"Edward, sorry son. Please come in." My father with his little annoying jokes.

As soon as I saw him my body began to hum, as if Edward's mere presence was my perfect Heaven. He turned toward me and my mother and gave me a grin, but not just any grin. No my Edward's perfect crooked grin, his only imperfection.

My father led Edward into the sitting room with me and my other. I hadn't noticed the large bouquet of red roses until now. I could feel myself become complete with the mere presence of Edward.

"Good evening ma'am." Edward said to my mother with a warm smile.

She nodded.

"Good evening, my darling Ivy."

I opened my mouth to reply but became dry, I couldn't speak. My mom tapped me on the shoulder and I managed to get out. "Evening Edward." But only just.

"Well sit you two, I've made you some refreshments if you like." My mom announced as she scurried out of the room and into the kitchen. My father lingered behind Edward with a scornful look on his face.

"Albert, could you help me please." My mother yelled from the kitchen, a clear attempt to give Edward and me some much needed alone time.

He reluctantly left but I had the odd feeling he wouldn't be far.

In one fluid motion Edward's arms were around my waist pulling me into a deep hug. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and took in everything. The scent wafting from his neck, the deep bronze in his shaggy hair, the way his clothes felt against my skin. He pulled back but didn't let go of me.

"These are for you." He said handing me the beautiful roses.

I didn't want to let go of him but took the flowers and sniffed them. Perfect, everything was perfect. He was perfect.

My mother walked in with a tray of tea and finger sandwiches which she sat on the coffee table.

"What lovely flowers, I'll put them in a vase for you." She said leaving as quickly as she'd entered.

"They are lovely, thank you." I acknowledged as I sat on the edge of the couch.

Edward sat next to me, grabbed my hand and kissed it gently. "A pale comparison when next to you."

I could feel my face flush but tried to move past it. Then his eyes caught mine, in all the time I'd known Edward I still couldn't get over the beauty of his emerald green eyes. They seemed to sparkle in the sunlight and glow in the moonlight. His mother's eyes were the same, but something about the way they were set on him made his unique. Special. There was something special about him, like he was destined for something great in this life.

"How was your day?" He asked pulling me out of my trance.

"Um, fine." I lied. In reality I'd been so nervous since this morning that I hadn't accomplished anything. At breakfast my mother let it slip that Edward had asked my father for my hand in marriage and, after issuing a dozen inane rules for our engagement, my father agreed.

A piece of my chestnut hair fell from my bun, but before it could land on my face Edward brushed it behind my ear. His finger across my skin left me speechless.

"You are beautiful." He mused absentmindedly.

"You're clearly blind." I said pushing from him but he didn't let me move.

"You're the blind one, if you don't see the perfection that you are."

He ran his lightly tanned hand across my cheek and pulled my face close to his and spoke. "You are my absolute perfection." As he kissed me softly on the lips.

My body began to shake, although it wasn't anything new. Every since our first kiss almost 2 years ago any physical touching sent my body into overdrive.

"My love, now that we're both 17 I think it's the best time to begin discussing our future." He blurted out quickly.

I nodded as the butterflies in my stomach picked up again this time beating against my stomach as if trying to escape. "I agree."

"I know we're young and have our whole lives ahead of us but when I see my future there's only one thing I see."

I smiled. "And what's that."

He knelt to one knee in front of me and pulled a small box from his pocket. "Us."

Tears began to flow without me noticing. "Us."

He opened the box to reveal an opal ring that I knew instantly belonged to his mother. I choked up as he asked the 4 magical words.

"Will you marry me?"

I could have reacted in so many different ways, cried and shook my head, or make some smart remark but I opted instead to lunge onto him, knocking us both onto the floor.

He laughed as he grabbed my left hand, both of us sitting awkwardly on the floor. "Is that a yes?"

A single tear drizzled down my cheek and I answered softly. "Yes."

Edward slid the ring on my finger and kissed the tear from my face.

I was to be his forever.

As the weeks went by our engagement went from being at least a year to only a few weeks. Influenza broke out through Chicago and a sense of urgency filled the air. Our wedding date had been sent, September 27, and as I made final preparations Edward began working odd jobs around town in hopes to find a more permanent one once the influenza outbreak was contained.

As the end of August passed a sense of excitement was replaced with a dire burning I could not contain. Would I be a good wife for my darling Edward? Would I be able to please him as a wife should? Although many of my friends had given into temptation before marriage Edward and I had decided to wait for our wedding night to give ourselves to each other. A decision I'd never regretted, but now mere weeks before our wedding I began to have doubts. I wanted our first night as husband and wife to be perfect with no surprises to interfere with our honeymoon.

As night drew closer I knew I wasn't going to be able to wait any longer. After midnight I snuck out of my bedroom window and scaled down the ivy and roses growling along the side of our house and ran the 4 blocks to Edwards home. His house was much smaller than mine (he could live in a 1 bedroom shack for all I cared) with only a living room, kitchen, washroom and two small bedrooms located on either side of the house.

I tapped softly on the window of Edward's bedroom and prayed he would hear me. Loud coughing echoed though the house, both his parents had symptoms of the flu but Edward assured me they were healthy and would pull through without a hitch. I tapped again and ducked down beneath the window ledge, maybe he wasn't home. I stood to tap once more but before my hand could hit the glass Edward threw open the window.

"Ivy?" He asked half asleep.

I wanted to answer him but as his body entered the moonlight I was silenced. There he stood in nothing but a thin pair of pajama bottoms that hung low on his hips. His chiseled chest gleamed in the moonlight, each defined muscle moving with each uneven breath.

"Ivy, what's wrong?" He asked with a panicked tone.

I tried to pull myself together. "Nothing, I just want to… talk."

He sighed. "Can't this wait until morning? It's not appropriate for you to be here."

I shook my head. "No, it can't wait."

He smiled. "If it's important."

"Very."

He didn't need any more convincing. He turned and grabbed a dirty work shirt and pair of old boots and climbed out the window.

"Now what's so important?" His panicked tone replaced by a playful sound.

I turned my head from him, suddenly I felt foolish. Why was I here? To ask my fiancée to deflower me in his mother prize winning petunia patch? He grabbed my chin with one finger and glided my face towards his. With one gentle kiss he sent me soaring.

"What's troubling you?"

"I…."

"Ivy out with it." I could tell he was getting frustrated.

"Can't we go somewhere alone?" I asked, suddenly aware of the fact we were practically standing on the street.

"It's not appropriate Ivy, we aren't supposed to be alone."

"Please." I begged.

He couldn't resist my pleas. "Come with me, quietly." He pulled on my hand and led me behind his house to an old barn, unused for years. Cobwebs entangled my hair upon entering the abandoned barn causing me to let out a scream. Edward grabbed me by the waist and pulled me close to his side.

"Quite love." He said with a kiss on my temple.

He pulled me deep into the barn and up a small ladder to the hay covered loft and sat. I stayed standing.

"Okay Ivy, now that I'm awake and breaking all the rules do you care to tell me what's wrong?"

I took a step toward him, the floor boards creaking beneath me, and spoke softly and quickly. "I thought maybe we were in need of some….privacy."

His head cocked at the last word. "Privacy? Privacy for what?"

I turned to walk away, clearly this was a mistake, but before I could run for it Edward grabbed my thigh and pulled me down onto his lap. He nuzzled his head against my neck and kissed my earlobe.

"Privacy for was my darling?" He asked with another kiss.

My breathing began to falter leaving me lightheaded. Or maybe that was Edward leaving me lightheaded. Either way I didn't care, I just wanted more. I turned my head and pressed my lips against his, a far cry from the pecks I usually gave him. He pushed on my hips to move me from him but I was determined, I wrapped my hand around his neck and opened our mouths. Temptation finally took him as he spun me forward on his lap and wrapped his hands around my waist pulling me tight against his chest. I slid my hand up his shirt, longing to feel the curves of his muscled chest, when he pulled away from my lips.

"Ivy, we should stop now."

I pulled his shirt over his head and ran my hand down his pecks. If I didn't know better I would have sworn a growl came from his lips.

"Ivy…" His voice cracked.

I kissed his collarbone and down to his pecks, it was odd how natural this felt. I'd always expected the physical part of our relationship to be awkward in the beginning but this, this was amazing.

"I don't want to stop." I said heavily.

He ran his hand up my back to the bowed string of my nightgown and pulled slightly letting my gown slip but not uncover me.

"We should, you know that." He didn't sound convincing.

I pulled down my gown exposing my virginal body to him. His body tensed as he ran his hand around my back, along my side and around my breast. His fingertips left trails of heat beneath them as he explored every inch of my body. A loud moan escaped my lips as he pulled my nightgown off me completely and exposed my now naked body. He laid me back onto the bed of hay and ran his hand along my stomach, down my thigh before pushing his fingers inside me. I hadn't expected him to be so forceful which sent my body into overdrive. I pulled him on top of me and kissed him deeply as he pushed his fingers deeper inside me.

"Edward I need you." I moaned as I felt my body winding up, as if I was about to explode.

"Are you sure?"

"Now, please."

Without missing a beat he pulled off his bottoms and lay next to me in the hay.

"There's no going back from this, you understand that?" He asked as if looking for reassurance to my longing for him.

"I never want to go back. I want you."

He grabbed my hand and slid it across his stomach, my fingers tugging and the slight hairs on his stomach that grew thicker as he pushed my hand down.

"I love you Ivy."

"I love you Edward."

With one fluid movement he was on top of me again, this time his hands wrapped around my neck as he centered himself between my legs. He leaned in and kissed me with more force that I'd ever experienced then pushed himself inside me. A wave of pain engulfed me as he broke into me causing me to let out a hushed cry.

"Are you okay?" He asked not moving in fear of hurting me further.

"Yes. Please don't stop." I wasn't about to let him stop now, not when we'd come of far.

He pushed deeper inside me, almost so I didn't think I'd be able to accommodate him, and then slowly he pulled out before thrusting back inside me again. The movement was like nothing I'd ever experience in my life, my body began to tingle with each movement Edward made. I ached for more as he moved his body faster with mine and without warning he pushed hard into me letting out a loud moan. As he finished my body caught up sending me into a state of pleasure I'd never imagined possible.

As we lay on the ground, naked and drenched in sweat, a sense of peace enveloped me. With Edward next to me I could do anything.

The next few days went by in a blur, before I could think Edward's mother and father were both sent to hospital with Influenza along with my mother and father. I could hardly catch my breath with the sickness that surrounded me. 2 weeks before we were to be married Edward began showing signs of sickness and joined our families in the hospital. I tried to visit as often as the nurses would let me but nothing prepared me for the pain ahead of me. Edward's father went first, followed quickly by my mother. By the next morning my father passed leaving me orphaned.

I began to feel sick, lightheaded, I thought it was from all the crying I'd done over the last few days but pushed it aside. I made my way to the hospital one last time to visit my Edward, who the doctors said didn't have much time left.

"Please, I have to see him." I begged a stern nurse who'd denied me.

"I'm sorry you can't go in there."

"I've lost everyone, please let me say goodbye to my fiancée!" I shouted.

Her face was unmoved but from the shadows a tall doctor emerged. He was unlike anyone I'd ever seen before; light blonde hair glistened off porcelain white skin set with dark black eyes. He looked otherworldly. Beautiful but untouchable.

"What seems to be the problem?" He asked.

"She," the nurse glared at me, "wants to see someone but as I told her if she isn't sick she needn't put herself in danger."

"Please, sir, my parents passed already and now my fiancée doesn't have much time left. Please I have to say goodbye." I was frantic with my plea.

He rested his hand on my shoulder sending chills through my body and smiled. "Come with me."

I followed him to a small waiting room from where I could hear the cries and sobs of other mourners. "What's your fiancée's name?"

"Edward, Edward Mason."

An odd look engulfed him as I said Edward's name. "Edward?"

I nodded. "Yes, please tell me he's okay. I've come in time."

His eyes were wide as if I were speaking of a ghost. "Yes, but only just. I'm sorry to tell you he doesn't have much time left. And his mother passed only minutes ago."

A knot ached in my stomach, his mother was a strong women. "Did she go, quickly?"

"Yes." He lied to make me feel better, that I was sure of.

"Wait here." He ordered as he rushed into the hall of dying patients.

Quicker than natural he came back to fetch me. "I moved Edward to a private bed so you could say goodbye properly."

He stopped us in front of a small room where my Edward lay on a flat table, pale white.

The strange doctor left before I could thank him and I entered the room. Odd smells met me as I made my way next to him, as if death had already claimed him. His body was burning as I kissed him softly on the forehead and sat in a chair next to him.

"Edward?" I asked, praying he could hear me. He didn't answer.

"Edward my love, I'm afraid you went and changed the plans on me and you know how much I hate change so you're just going to have to get though this so we can be married." I cried.

He didn't move again, tears began to flow freely down my cheeks. I grabbed his hand with mine and squeezed. "I fear we won't make it to our wedding. But you should know that I have loved to with my whole heart and I will for as long as God keeps me on this Earth."

A tiny squeeze let me know he could hear me.

"I love you please take that with you. Remember me wherever you go from here."

He squeezed again.

A lump filled my throat as I realized this was the last time I would see my darling Edward alive.

"Miss." A voice called from next to me.

I jumped. "Sorry I didn't see you come in."

"I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself, I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I've been attending to your fiancée since his arrival."

I tried to smile. "Thank you for talking care of him."

He shook his head. "I've made him comfortable, but I'm afraid there isn't much else I can do."

An odd thought flooded my head, as if the doctor knew more than he was letting on. As if he could do something more for my Edward but didn't want me to know.

"I'm sure you have."

"He hasn't much time left, I'd say minutes."

I nodded, somehow I already knew. I turned from the doctor and stared at my darling love. "He was meant for so much more in this life. He deserves so much more."

"I wish…" Dr. Cullen started.

I ran my hand over Edwards arm. "He's strong and smart, top of his class. He has the makings of a doctor or lawyer. To die here, like this, it isn't fair." I didn't know why I was telling the doctor all this but I felt deep down I needed Dr. Cullen to know the man my Edward was.

I had the odd feeling that although the doctor couldn't save Edward from death, he might be able to give him life.

I turned and walked to the door brushing past the doctor.

An odd look crossed his face as I touched him. "You loved him deeply didn't you?"

I nodded.

"Does he know?"

I stared at Dr. Cullen wide-eyed. "Know what?"

He smiled. "About your symptoms."

I shook my head. "I don't feel sick, I don't have the flu…"

He shook his head but didn't answer me only gave me a small bit of advice. "Cherish the gift your about to receive. There's not stronger bond."

As I left the room I knew something had changed, something was different, something I wasn't meant to understand.

20 years later

I sat on the edge of my son's bed as he tightened his tie.

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" I asked.

"Mom, you have to stop worrying." He begged, his bronze hair gleaming in a stream of sunlight.

"Married, you're too young." I said with a cry.

He laughed. "You were 17 when you married my father, were you not."

I knew the true answer to that, but never in my life would I tell him the truth about me and his father.

I nodded. "That's beside the point."

"I love her."

"I know, and I love her too. She'll make a wonderful wife."

"Mother of your grandchildren." He said with a sly crooked smile, just like his fathers.

I laughed. "That too, but maybe not just yet."

He grinned back. "Well, we'll see about that."

As he pulled on his jacket a familiar hole filled my stomach, the same emptiness that happened the night my darling Carlisle came into this world, or his first day of school or today, his wedding day. The same emptiness I used to feel when Edward was alive but not with me. The same emptiness I'd felt for the last 20 years.

As we left his room to leave for the church Carlisle asked. "Mom, won't you remarry. Now that I'm gone I think it's time. You're still so young, you could probably have another child if you married quickly enough."

I laughed; marriage had never entered my mind since the night I lost Edward.

I pushed Carlisle out the door. "I'm perfectly content on my own."

As we walked the 2 blocks to the small church a million emotions flooded me but I tried to suppress them all. I needed to be strong for my darling boy.

"Mom, I wonder…" my child started.

"You wonder?"

"My father, you said he died in the outbreak."

I tried to speak as little about Edward as possible but with age Carlisle asked more and more about him. "Yes."

"Did he know you were pregnant?"

I shook my head. "No, I didn't know myself."

"And he was an only child?"

I nodded again.

"Do I look like him?"

I smiled, the answer to that was a resounding yes. Deep green eyes, lightly tanned skin topped with Edward's unique bronze hair. "Yes."

He kissed me on the cheek as we headed into the church. "You loved him very much didn't you?"

A tear came out at the thought of my lost love.

"Completely."

As my son went through the door a cool breeze drifted past me, pulling my scarf from around my neck. I ran down the steps to catch it but before I could reach for it an odd sight caught my eye. Across the street in a dark alley stood a man I once knew, a doctor who told me my love wouldn't be returning to me, but that had been 20 years ago and he looked just as young, just as perfect. I closed my eyes and upon reopening them the man was gone. Clearly my mind was playing tricks on me.

"Mom." Carlisle shouted from the steps.

"I'm coming darling."

I turned from the alley way and didn't look back.

30 years later

As time passed I never remarried, all I could hope for was meeting my darling Edward in Heaven. Once last glimpse of his perfect face could get me through eternity. And as I lay on my deathbed, surrounded by my son, his wife and their three darling children that familiar hole returned. My head began to spin again, it wouldn't be long now.

"Mom, the doctor's here." I heard my son say softly through the fog.

I opened my eyes and knew I had died because standing before me was the same doctor who'd cared for Edward so many years ago. Just as young, just as perfect.

"Dr. Cullen." I said softly.

He laughed. "Ivy."

"You're… young…"

He smiled as he felt my forehead. "Only in appearance."

"But…. I don't understand." My head was reeling.

"You needn't. Just close your eyes darling and I promise everything will be alright."

"Edward." I said softly as if everything in the world suddenly made sense.

The doctor straightened up with the mention of Edward. "What about him?"

As my mind slipped again the fog took over but something, a distant memory perhaps, made me remember a feeling I once had.

"You saved him." I said not understanding the words that came from my mouth.

The doctor didn't answer, instead gave me a shot. "This should help with the pain."

Tears slid down my face as I felt my soul leaving my body, but I wasn't ready to go. Not yet. I had one last thing to do. I slid off my engagement ring and handed it to Dr. Cullen. "See that he has this always. It was his mothers, and mine. See that he finds happiness with it again."

"Are you sure you don't want to keep it?" He said softly in my ear.

"It doesn't belong to me anymore." I closed my eyes and smiled as I passed.

I was finally at peace.


End file.
